Rising from floods, new villages show tourists ecological migration
Two villages that took form along the Poyang Lake in east China's Jiangxi Province after the 1998 floods have become tourist attractions and the center of the country's call for ecological migration.
In order to improve the natural environment, China is promoting the resettlement of persons in ecologically difficult environments and the rebuilding of some of these areas.
The first 500 visitors to the villages of Huangpojing and Nan'anxincun came shortly after local government promo
800-year-old Tomb unearthed in central-south China
A tomb of a local tribal ruler in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) has been excavated in central-south China's Hunan province with valuable findings provided for study of whereabouts about ancient minority people in the region.
The tomb, located in central-southern Hunan province's Yongshun county, which historians dubbed as the "forbidden city in the south", was believed to be a burial place of a "Tusi", or a local tribal headman or rather a minority ethnic administrator.
The tomb's axis
China's 2nd International Competition for Singers well prepared
China's 2nd International Singing Competition, due to start on Oct. 25, would meet the standards of other world-renowned contests such as the Tchaikovsky International Music Competition, Ministry of Culture (MOC) sources said in Beijing recently.
The competition has so far attracted 212 candidates from 18 countries including Romania, the United States, Greece, Germany and Brazil. Among them, 28 Chinese and 52 foreigners will compete at the contest in Beijing.
Apart from Chinese art
New Great Wall sections found in northwest China
A new 80-km section of the Great Wall was recently discovered on the southern slope of Helan Mountain in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
The section, about 40 km west of Yinchuan, the regional capital, was built in 1531 and gradually buried by moving sand. When the wall section was repaired in 1540, three watchtowers were added at different parts of the section which meanders from east to west. The forward post is well preserved.
The seven-meter-high wall is 6.5 me
Ancient historical site restored in China's capital
The Earth Altar, one of Beijing's significant historically tourist attractions, recently had its red, glazed tile walls renovated as part of a local government project to restore the site to its original appearance.
The project, carried out by local authorities of Beijing's Eastern District, where the alter is located, required a total investment of 500 million yuan (about 60 million US dollars).
The altar, built in 1530, enjoyed significant political, cultural and religious status
Three Gorges second damming won't damage scenery: official
A second damming of the Three Gorges on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in November will not negatively affect nearby scenic sites, said a local municipal official recently.
"On the contrary, the damming will add new scenic sites to the Three Gorges area and thus promote tourism," said Liao Dafeng, deputy mayor of Yichang, the nearest city to the site of the on-going gigantic water conservancy project.
Situated in the western Yichang area, central China's Hubei province, th
Zhang Fei temple in Three Gorges area to be relocated
A ceremony was held recently as a prelude to the relocation of an ancient temple in Yunyang County, Chongqing Municipality, to save it from being inundated by water from the Three Gorges Reservoir.
Built more than 1,700 years ago, the temple honors an ancient hero named Zhang Fei in the Three Kingdoms era (A.D. 220-280), who still enjoys high prestige among Chinese people. It is called "the oldest resident" on the site of the Three Gorges Reservoir.
The temple will be moved 32 kilo
China to Become No.1 Tourist Destination by 2020
China will become the largest tourist destination in the world by 2020, predicts the World Tourism Organization. Ms. Emi Maccoll, an official from the World Tourism Organization, made this remark at the World Tourism Day event recently held in Yinchuan, the capital city of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China. She also said that in the past ten years, continuous and rapid development of Chinese tourism surpassed all expectations. In 2002, the number of foreign tourists to visit China
Shares Rise Slightly as Buyers Grab Big Firms
China's shares rose slightly yesterday as investment funds and other institutional investors bought into large firms like China Unicom, supporting markets mired in a seven-week downtrend, brokers said. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.35 percent to end at 1,524.925 points after hitting an intraday trough of 1,512.327 in the afternoon. The Shenzhen's inched 0.77 points, or 0.02 percent, to 3088.94 points. Shanghai's hard currency B share index ended up 0.33 percent at 138.202 points, but Shenz
China to Become No.1 Tourist Destination by 2020
China will become the largest tourist destination in the world by 2020, predicts the World Tourism Organization. Ms. Emi Maccoll, an official from the World Tourism Organization, made this remark at the World Tourism Day event recently held in Yinchuan, the capital city of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China. She also said that in the past ten years, continuous and rapid development of Chinese tourism surpassed all expectations. In 2002, the number of foreign tourists to visit China
Traditional medicine fights for recognition
Greater efforts should be made by those involved with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to raise its profile overseas so it can contribute more to people's health globally, a top TCM official said.
China has made great progress in introducing TCM to the world in the past 20 years but many hurdles still need to be overcome, said Shen Zhixiang, director of Department of International Co-operation under the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
These include the low l
Traditional Chinese medicines calls for standards
Departments concerned are working towards a set of standards for traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) so they can be more widely accepted throughout the rest of the world.
The planting and processing of medical materials, such as herbs, and the production of TCM will all be standardized so they contain certain ingredients able to cure diseases, said Xiao Shiying, a medical researcher with the Ministry of Science and Technology.
He said from 2001 and 2005, about 150 million yuan (US$
Gap narrows between blue, white-collar workers in China
Each day, 32-year-old Li Kaijun drives his brand-new Jetta to and from work. But unlike many other mostly white-collar car owners, Li is an experienced locksmith with a leading automaker in northeast China.
Five other senior technical workers are highly paid at the local molding factory where Li works, a branch of the FAW Car Company Ltd. They earn no less than the company's senior executives, according to Li.
Hu Yang, 25, is a mechanic with the Shenyang Aircraft Industrial Group.
HK invites tourists to see "Cultural Kaleidoscope"
Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is organizing a Cultural Kaleidoscope program, through which tourists can take classes on antique, jade, pearl, tea, tai chi, feng shui, architecture and Cantonese opera.
The program also includes a guided Cantonese opera tour, a series of architectural and heritage walks, a guided tour of "the Hong Kong Story" at the Hong Kong Museum of History and a ride at the Victoria Harbor on board the Duk Ling, a real Chinese junk.
These classes and trips, whic
Logistics service booming in China
The logistics business has been expanding in China at an annual rate of 30 percent.
More than 10,000 companies were now engaged in logistical services, said Ding Junfa, the deputy head of the China Federation of Logistics and Procurement, while addressing a special function marking the debut of the China Logistics Yearbook.
Statistics show that in 2001, retail sales of commodities in China were worth 3.76 trillion yuan (453 billion US dollars), and total sales of the means of produ
DIY shops gaining popularity in Chinese cities
Do-it-yourself (DIY) shops, where clients buy materials to make crafts themselves, are springing up in Chinese cities.
These shops mainly sell art goods like pottery, embroidery cloth, and paper-cuttings, which encourage people's creativity and talents.
DIY shops are suitable for people of all ages, said a man who only gave his surname as Zhou, a resident of Changchun, the capital of Jilin Province, northeast China.
DIY encourages patience and perseverance, he said, as it of
Auction of Chinese porcelain in HK expected to set world record
A rare under glaze-blue and copper red jar to be sold at the upcoming auction of Sotheby's in Hong Kong is expected to set a new record of Chinese porcelain.
The jar, made in the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), is expected to be sold at more than 44 million HK dollars (5.64 million US dollars), the record of Chinese porcelain set by a Wucai "fish" jar made in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
The jar fully reflects the Yuan potter's skills. Its large size and heavy walls demanded competence in p
Foreigners visit Beijing's police station
I feel secure and at ease living in Beijing as I feel an affinity with its police force and am impressed by its administrative transparency, Georgeon Phillips, an American lawyer said when he visited a branch of Beijing Public Security Bureau.
The Beijing Public Security Bureau Sunday invited citizens and foreigners to inspect its grass-roots branches in an attempt to make Beijingers better understand their work procedures and content.
About a dozen foreigners paid a visit to Yutan
Travel convenience for HKSAR passport holders to Egypt enhanced
The period of visa-free entry for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passport holders to visit Egypt will be extended from 14 days to 90 days with immediate effect, said a government release recently.
It said the HKSAR government welcomes the confirmation from the Consulate General of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
As a parallel development and following a review, the HKSAR government will extend the visa-free period for nationals of the Arab Republic of Egypt from 14 day
China to offer more jobs to foreigners
Representatives of about 470 economic, cultural and educational organizations and employment agencies from 20 countries are scheduled to gather in China for talks on job opportunities on October 23.
They are expected to hold talks with representatives of Chinese institutions and enterprises in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, east China.
The talks are sponsored by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.
Organizers of the talks said overseas professionals wo
Nanjing to boast park-like city
Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, has launched a "Green Nanjing" project, to increase grassland and tree coverage to 45 percent before 2005.
The project is promising an enchanting picture of a green city in the near future. In the next seven years, Nanjing will have 93,000 hectares of newly forested land. By the year 2010, residents will enjoy 15 square meters of public green land per person.
An official of the Nanjing municipal government said that grassland and t
Global transport technology show due in Beijing
An international exhibition of road and water transport technology and equipment will be held in Beijing from Oct. 22 to 25.
More than 250 domestic and foreign businesses have registered to take part, including the German Bomag Machinery Co., China's Xuzhou Engineering Machinery Group and 3M China Ltd.
Exhibits at the show, sponsored by China's Ministry of Communications, include engineering machinery, engineering materials, testing devices and information technology for use in eng
China suspends elevator operation in tourist spot Zhangjiajie
Operation of the elevator in Zhangjiajie of central China's Hunan Province, a famous tourist attraction on the World's Natural Heritage List, has been suspended for security reasons following a period of heated controversy, reported a local newspaper.
Although its construction has generated heated debate from the very beginning, this 335-meter-high elevator was put into operation in May. Many experts and tourists have remained dubious, however, due to potential security problems and damag
Beijing adopts regulation to protect cultural heritages
Beijing's cultural heritage sites will be protected by regulations passed recently by the city's legislative body.
Under the regulations, to take effect Jan. 1, 2003, erecting a structure without approval inside or near such ancient sites as the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace is strictly forbidden and subject to penalty.
Destroying, changing or dismantling structures classified as cultural heritages, or anything attached, is also forbidden under the regulations.
The ca
Wedding Industry Booms in China
On September 22, an even day on the Chinese lunar month calendar, a convoy of ten Mercedes-Benz led by Lincoln limousine preceded up the Chang'an Avenue in Beijing and stopped before a grand hotel. Flowers, balloons and small figurines decorated the motorcade. The newly wed couple stepped out of the limousine and were quickly surrounded by photographers, video cameras and a cheering crowd. This is the scene of a genuine modern day wedding in China. According to the Purple House Wedding Company,
Tourism to Create 40 Million Jobs in 10 Years
As announced by responsible persons with the State Planning Commission and National Tourism Administration of China (CNTA) at the "Forum on the work of tourism for promotion of employment" on Oct 21, 2002 in Shenyang, Yu Guangzhou, vice-chairman of the State Planning Commission and He Guangwei, Chairman of the CNTA all expressed that China's tourism industry would continue to develop at a speed moderately faster than the growth of the GDP in the 10 years to come. This would generate 40 million m
President Jiang Meets Illinois Governor in Chicago
Chinese President Jiang Zemin met in Chicago on Tuesday evening with George H. Ryan, Governor of the State of Illinois. President Jiang, who arrived earlier Tuesday to start his four-day visit to the United States, was greeted by Governor Ryan on behalf of the Illinois people. Jiang said he was "very pleased" to come to Chicago to start his visit to the United States. Describing Chicago as an important financial, trade, industrial and cultural center of the United States, Jiang said the Chinese
Tourism Pact to Be Stamped
Southeast Asian leaders will seal a tourism pact at their summit in Cambodia next month to revive confidence in the region following the bloody bomb blasts in Bali, a minister said yesterday. The decision to deepen tourism co-operation among the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was made two years ago but there was more urgency now following the Bali tragedy, said Malaysian Tourism Minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir. "The leaders will sign an ASEAN tourism agreement in Cam
Ancient Battleground Adorned with Exotic Trees
Zhuolu, situated on the southeast of present day Zhuolu County in north China's Hebei Province, was the battleground of an ancient episode in which three legendary primogenitors of the Chinese people Huang Di or Yellow Emperor, Yan Di and Chi You first battled and then merged forces. Historical documents record a view that "China's thousands of years of civilization originated in Zhuolu." However, nowadays, visitors to Zhuolu are more impressed by the ancient and exotic trees than the years of c
President Jiang Arrives in Chicago
Chinese President Jiang Zemin met in Chicago on Tuesday evening with George H. Ryan, Governor of the State of Illinois. President Jiang, who arrived earlier Tuesday to start his four-day visit to the United States, was greeted by Governor Ryan on behalf of the Illinois people. Jiang said he was "very pleased" to come to Chicago to start his visit to the United States. Describing Chicago as an important financial, trade, industrial and cultural center of the United States, Jiang said the Chinese
Shares Keep Rising on Enhancing Technicals
China's shares rose yesterday, the third day of a technical rebound, as punters shopped for loss-making companies like travel agency Hainan Dadonghai Tourism, brokers said. The Shanghai Composite Index moved up 23.179 points, or 1.52 percent, to end at 1548.104 yesterday, while Shenzhen's increased by 37.93 points, or 1.23 percent, to 3126.87. Shanghai's hard currency B share index ended up 0.78 percent at 139.285 points, while Shenzhen's rose 1.21 percent to 212.92 in thin trade. Turnover on th
Ancient Battleground Adorned with Exotic Trees
Zhuolu, situated on the southeast of present day Zhuolu County in north China's Hebei Province, was the battleground of an ancient episode in which three legendary primogenitors of the Chinese people Huang Di or Yellow Emperor, Yan Di and Chi You first battled and then merged forces. Historical documents record a view that "China's thousands of years of civilization originated in Zhuolu." However, nowadays, visitors to Zhuolu are more impressed by the ancient and exotic trees than the years of c
Xishuangbanna-Bangkok Flight Opens
A flight linking Xishuangbanna in south west China's Yunnan Province to Bangkok, Thailand was opened recently. An official said at the on-going Xishuangbanna Frontier Region Trade Fair that according to the contract, the flight is undertaken by the Bangkok Airlines which will fly from Bangkok to Xishuangbanna every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and return on the same day.
Hi-tech helps protect world's tallest Buddha statue
Scientists with instruments examine each of the 108 test stones to find the one most suitable for curing the "diseases" of the 71-meter-high Leshan statue, the world's tallest Buddha.
Hi-tech has been used to help preserve this world heritage site in China during the past decade, benefiting from the country's rapid progress in science and technology.
The 1,200-year-old Buddha, located in southwest China's Sichuan Province, has lost its original look after centuries of weathering by
Leshan Buddha needs long-term skin care
Despite a recent facelift, the world's tallest Buddha statue still needs long-term "skin care", according to Chinese scientists.
"We don't have the cure-all to protect it from wind and acid rain damage yet. Regular skin care is the only way to keep it from aging, " said Wu Shengli, deputy director of the Leshan Buddha Statue scenic area administration.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences is researching materials to provide a new layer of "skin" to keep the 1200-year-old statue from det
171 kinds of minerals discovered in China
Among the 171 kinds of minerals which have been discovered in China so far, the reserves of 156 kinds have been proven, Tian Fengshan, minister of land and resources, said here recently.
He said this at a seminar marking the publishing of a series of books on geology and a stamp album featuring geological exploration.
Tian said there are around 20,000 mines across the country and China is one of a few countries with widespread mineral resources and rich mineral reserves.
Chi
DHL to open 10 new express delivery centers in China
DHL Worldwide Express will set up another 10 express delivery centers in China in the coming 12 to 18 months, raising the total number of delivery centers in China to 49, Uwe Dorken, chairman and CEO of DHL, said here recently.
The new centers will provide DHL's business clients in China with a full range of services, such as modern air express delivery, e-commerce fulfillment, and intelligent logistics solutions in several hundred Chinese cities.
DHL plans to build a joint venture
Coca-cola company assists Chinese needy students
The Chengdu Coca-cola Beverage Co.,Ltd. and the Sichuan Provincial Poverty Reduction Fund jointly launched a program recently to help needy university students who have done well in their studies.
The program is designed to provide financial assistance to needy university students and help develop their specific talents and assist their personal growth.
As part of the program, the Chengdu Coca-cola Beverage Co., Ltd. will establish a scholarship from its sales income to be used as
China, France to expand aviation cooperation
Airbus and a Chinese partner has recently signed a memorandum and an agreement on flight safety cooperation in order to strengthen aviation cooperation between the two sides.
Under the agreement, the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) and Airbus plan to strengthen cooperation in maintenance practices, supervision training, and safety measure implementation
The Civil Aviation University of China (CAUC) and Airbus signeda memo to upgrade the university's library
Ceremony commemorates those who died in defense of HK
A ceremony in commemoration of those who died in the defense of Hong Kong in the war years between 1941 and 1945 was held at the City Hall Memorial Garden recently.
Tung Chee Hwa, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), attended the ceremony and laid a wreath.
Former members of the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column and representatives of war veteran groups were present at the event and paid their respect to their fellow soldiers i
Enterprising Tibetans profiting from yak transport business
Cars may be the main mode of transport in most places, but in some areas of Tibet, yaks have not yet gone out of business. The so-called "carriers on the plateau" have become a source of income for residents of Tingri county in China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
Though in other areas of Tibet automobiles have long replaced yaks, for the increasing numbers of mountaineers coming to prove themselves on Mount Everest, yaks are the most efficient means of transportation.
Zhaxizong townsh
Major cities along Yangtze River join hands for future
The economic belt along the Yangtze River is due to undergo a new round of development while coping with economic imbalance, bad industrial structures and increasing pollution.
The scheme was proposed recently during an economic coordination meeting attended by mayors of 29 major cities along the Yangtze River.
The mayors noted that these cities have achieved marked progress in readjusting local industrial structures, building a unified market and protecting the environment of the
Australian dance troupe to perform in Beijing
Bangarra Dance Theater, one of Australia's national treasures, will perform here to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-Australian diplomatic ties on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Bangarra's performance won wide acclaim at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games' opening and closing ceremonies. Its artistic style derives from the aboriginal history and culture of Australia.
Lydia Morton with the Australian Embassy here said that cultural communication helps the tw
Beijing to get five new museums
Five new museums will be built by 2008 in this capital city of China.
A national museum, a state art gallery, museums of film and automobiles as well as a new municipal museum will be built, said Mei Ninghua, director of the bureau of cultural relics of the municipal government.
Construction of the film museum, costing 370 million yuan, will start next month in northeast Beijing. It will cover an area of three hectares and is expected to be the largest in Asia.
There are 118
Beijing plans huge investment in light rail system
Beijing plans to invest a total of 63.8 billion yuan (7.78 billion US dollars) in eight planned light rail projects in the next six years, city planning officials said recently.
The projects include two links from the city proper to the Olympic village for the 2008 Olympic Games and to Beijing's international airport.
The city planners said Beijing was expected to build 156.7 km of new subway and light rail systems, increasing the total length to more than 300 km by 2008.
Ra
Renovations begin on Beijing's Forbidden City
The ancient imperial structures of Beijing's Forbidden City, viewed daily by thousands, will be restored to their original grandeur as the city undertakes a massive restoration of China's largest palace museum.
As a prelude to revamping the entire palace museum, located at the north end of Tiananmen Square, the renovation of Wuying Palace, located in the museum's unopened area, began last Thursday.
Jin Hongkui, deputy director of the Palace Museum, said that it is the first time th
The Ili Valley
The Ili Valley is located in the northwest part of Xinjiang, about 60 kilometers east of the Kazakhstan border. Endowed with a pleasant climate, breathtaking natural beauty and colorful ethnic customs, it has become one of the most popular tourist spots in Xinjiang. Ili is home to nearly 20 ethnic groups, and each has its own distinctive lifestyle and folk customs. One good place to experience the unique features of Xinjiang's diverse ethnic groups are the bazaars in the city of Yining, the poli
Travelers Defiant But Wary About Bali
The Chinese domestic tourism market appears intent on making a defiant stand in the face of the deadly terrorist attacks that devastated Bali earlier this month. But travel agents expect a slump in outbound trips to Bali and Indonesia generally over the next few months as the majority of Chinese citizens postpone travel plans in the short run. Anticipating a jittery mood among the public, many major travel agents contacted by China Daily said they have cancelled advertising and promotions for th
Experts Call for Better Protection of Tourists
Tourism experts urged Chinese travel agents to upgrade the protection of their customers traveling abroad in the wake of this month's car-bomb attacks in the Indonesian resort of Bali, China Daily reported Friday. Experts said travel agents should work more closely with insurance operators and increase the amount of insurance cover fortourists to minimize the loss in case of accidents. Zhang Guangrui, a tourism researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said tourists should also be
Government Encourages Public to Learn English
China is actively encouraging its citizens to immerse themselves in an English language learning environment, officials said at an English language learning symposium held in Beijing yesterday. "With China's accession to the World Trade Organization and the approaching Olympics in 2008, more than ever is it a priority for young Chinese to learn and improve their language skills," said Zhang Xinsheng, the vice-minister of the Ministry of Education, in his opening speech. The symposium brought tog
Pawnbroking: Millennial Trade with New Appeal
When a clothing shop was overstocked with fur coats in early summer, the storekeeper decided to pawn them in order to advance some money for new season goods. "A pawnshop is a reliable warehouse where you don't have to worry about damage to your property," said the storekeeper in Hangzhou, capital of the eastern Zhejiang Province. "You can redeem it easily before next winter, when you'd have probably made enough money out of summer wear." And the service fee charged by a pawnshop -- normally aro
Top Young Musicians Compete on World Stage
The Fourth International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians began last Saturday in Xiamen, in East China's Fujian Province. The competition concludes on October 31. More than 260 youngsters from 24 countries and regions applied; the competition was narrowed during the first round of selection to 162 entrants from 22 countries. Sixty-six of the competitors are Chinese, including one from Hong Kong and four from Taiwan. Twenty-eight renowned musicians -- including Renate Ronnefeld, from S
APEC Members Mull Terrorism's Effect on Trade
The ministerial meeting leading up to the 10th annual Economic Leaders Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum ended in Los Cabos, Mexico Thursday with the adoption of a joint statement highlighting counter-terrorism and trade facilitation. Speaking at a press conference at the end of the ministerial meeting, Mexican Secretary of Economy Luis Ernesto Derbez, the chairman of the meeting, said APEC foreign and trade ministers participating in the meeting condemned the recent
More Foreign-funded Insurance Companies Enter China
A total of eight foreign-funded insurance companies were recently approved by the Chinese government to operate or expand their business in the country.
The eight companies are Germany-based Gerling-Konzern Allgemeine Versicherungs AG and Allianz; Swed
Hong Kong issues 2nd set of definitive stamps
Hongkong Post issued the second set of new definitive stamps, comprising 16 denominations, since the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 1997.
At the stamp issuing ceremony held recently at the General Post Office, Postmaster General Luk Ping-chuen and members of the Stamp Advisory Committee marked the launch of the new stamps by joining together the two blow-up images of the 1.4-HK dollar definitive stamp - "Dim Sum/Bakery" to signify the harmony with which th
Cross-border bridge linking Hong Kong and Guangdong plan to be finalized in several months
Details on the plan of constructing a cross-border bridge linking the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Guangdong Province are expected to be finalized in a few months.
Sarah Liao, HKSAR secretary for the environment, transport and works, revealed the progress of discussion to HKSAR Legislative Councilors during the weekly council meeting recently.
Liao said concrete arrangements are being made to finalize the details in a few months, though she did not specify ho
World's largest adventureland to dock in HK Disneyland
Walt Disney executives unveiled recently part of the designs for the Hong Kong Disneyland, which will be the fifth Disneyland theme park in the world and home to the largest Adventureland.
Hong Kong Walt Disney, planned for Penny's Bay on Lantau Island and scheduled to open in 2005/06, claims to be the first to follow the blueprint of the original Disneyland in California, including its Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Covering an area of 126 hectares, the park comprises of Fantasyland, Adv
Shanghai's decade of change through European eyes
Gerhard Mairhofer's first Shanghai visit did not impress him, but the second visit was completely different.
"It is lucky to be here to witness the making of a metropolis,"he says. "I have never seen a city in the world that has seen such rapid changes."
The general manager of Shanghai Krupp Stainless paid his first visit to Shanghai, China's industrial and financial hub, in 1989. In the decade after, the whole country, including Shanghai, underwent deep and widespread market refor
Retired railway worker continues hiking tour of China
A retired railway worker in north China's Shanxi Province has recently started a 18-month hiking tour of the southern part of China.
Aged 74, Chen Fuqin took a train in early October to Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, where he would walk southward across the provinces of Anhui, Jiangxi, Fujian, Hainan, Guizhou, Yunnan and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The hiking tour was his special way to welcome the upcoming 16th National Congress of the Chinese Communist
More Flights Between Beijing, East China City
Fourteen new flights each week will be opened on Oct. 27 by Hainan Airlines between Beijing and Hefei,capital of east China's Anhui Province.
The new schedule will raise the total number of weekly flights between the two cities from the current 32 to 46, making the air route one of the busiest in China.
The new flights will be operated by Boeing 737-400 aircraft with 145 seats.
As one of China's major airline companies, Hainan Airlines has opened more than 130 domestic and o
China revives Kunqu opera
A national competition for Chinese Kunqu opera artists will be held from Oct. 27 to Nov. 3 in Kunshan and Suzhou, in east China's Jiangsu Province, the birthplaces of the 700-year-old art form.
The competition will be co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture (MOC) and the provincial government of Jiangsu with financial support from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
According to the organizers, 42 Chinese artists from six of China's nation
7,000-year-old relics unearthed in NW China
About 300 pieces of pottery, jade and bone utensil relics have been unearthed in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
Ash pits and ruins of houses and tombs dating from 7,000 to 600 years ago were dug up by Chinese archaeologists in an area covering over 2,500 sq meters of Shaanxi's Baoji County.
More than 100 pottery utensils unearthed were complete or restorable, according to the archaeologists.
Most of the Neolithic pottery, including bowls, cups, pots and vases, are made
Tourism belt forming along China-Vietnam border
A tourism belt is taking shape along the line where the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China meets Vietnam.
The belt area features ancient battlefields, frontier junctions, mysterious frescos, scarce plants and animals and underground military fortresses. The diverse customs of ethnic inhabitants can also be enjoyed all along the border line.
With a projected investment of 130 million yuan (15.7 million US dollars), construction of the 1,020-km belt was initiated by the
First Asian, African and Latin American craftwork fair opens in Xiamen
China's first fair featuring craftwork from Asia, Africa and Latin America opened here on Tuesday (Oct.22).
Thousands of types of unique craftwork were put on display by craft trade associations and enterprises from countries including India, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tanzania and Botswana, and by enterprises from 20 provinces and cities of China.
As the most professional and international craft fair in China, it has also attracted businessmen from more than
Chinese youth delegation to promote China-Japan ties
A delegation of 120 young people from Chinese government departments and other walks of life left Beijing and Guangzhou on Wednesday (Oct.23) for a 23-day visit to Japan, aiming to boost China-Japan ties.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency held a luncheon for the delegation in Beijing on Tuesday (Oct.22) on behalf of the Japanese government.
Wang Baoqiang, vice-chairman of the Tianjin Youth Federation and one of the delegation's leaders, said during the luncheon that the de
ASEAN Tourism Pact to Be Stamped
Southeast Asian leaders will seal a tourism pact at their summit in Cambodia next month to revive confidence in the region following the bloody bomb blasts in Bali, a minister said on Oct. 22.
The decision to deepen tourism co-operation among the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was made two years ago but there was more urgent now following the Bali tragedy, said Malaysian Tourism Minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir.
"The leaders will sign an ASEAN tourism ag
Chinese tourism to create 40 million jobs in 10 years
China's tourism industry is expected to provide 40 million jobs in the next decade, according to the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).
People working in the tourism industry increased by 500,000 annually during the 1996-2000 period.
Tourism is a labor-intensive industry comprising several related trades including transportation, accommodation, food and recreation. It is becoming the principal channel to absorb laid-off workers, said He Guangwei, chairman of the CNTA.
China International Tourism Mart to kick off in mid November
The fourth China International Tourism Mart (CITM) is scheduled to be held in Shanghai from Nov. 14 to 17, giving participants from foreign and domestic tourism industries a chance to promote themselves.
A record total area of 34,500 square meters will be used for the exposition. By Oct. 17, more than 1,600 exhibition booths were registered, 1,111 of which were for domestic participants and 503 from overseas.
Participants in the CITM come from 46 countries and regions including Sin
APEC Leaders Kicking off Two-day Informal Meeting
Leaders of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on Saturday kicked off their two-day informal meeting in Mexico, seeking to promote economic growth through economic and technological cooperation. The APEC meeting is being held against the backdrop of a deadly terrorist attack on the Indonesian island of Bali, bombings in the Philippines and a hostage-taking incident in Moscow earlier this month. The fight against terrorism has become a major topic of the meeting. The lead
Ancient Pagoda Rebuilt in East China
The restoration of the Leifeng Pagoda, one of the most famous ancient architectural structures in China, was completed on Friday in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, in eastern China. A ceremony was held to mark the occasion by the provincial government and the municipal government of Hangzhou, a city known for its scenic West Lake, one of the major tourism attractions in east China. Construction of the pagoda began in 972 and was completed four years later. In 1924, the pagoda collaps
China Reviews Vatican Apology, Hopes for Improved Relations
China is willing to improve relations with the Vatican, but two conditions must be observed, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sun Yuxi said in Beijing on Thursday at a regular press conference.
A reporter asked Sun to comment on the speech delivered
China's Kunqu Festival Held in East China
A Chinese Kunqu festival was inaugurated Sunday in Kunshan City of east China's Jiangsu Province, to celebrate the 1st anniversary of the opera being listed as a masterpiece of oral and intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The week-long gala will feature 42 young artists, who will perform and compete for 21 awards of 1,200 U.S. dollars each. The Chinese Ministry of Culture (MOC) will also award 32 artists for their long-te
Travel Agencies Face Two Challenges: Expert
Chinese travel agencies have great potential as tourism suppliers, but they are facing two major challenges, said Liu Jiaxiang, chairman of the China Travel Service Group of China (CTS). He explained that globalization in the information era has provided consumers with greater and more direct access to tourism resources. Some of the original functions of travel agencies are being challenged by the Internet. China's entry into the WTO expedited the "opening" of the tourism industry. Growing numbe
Art Show Extols Goddess Mazu
The China International Science and Technology Exhibition Center in north Beijing is holding a grand art exhibition entitled The Culture of the Mazu Goddess and the Traditional Virtues of the Chinese People. The exhibition, which ends today, displays some 200 works of sculpture, folk painting, traditional Chinese ink painting, oils, watercolors and calligraphy selected from more than 1,000 entries from across the country, according to Liu Jiancheng, an organizer with the Chinese Modern Culture R
China's Industrialization to Take 20 Years: Academician
It will take about 20 years for China to become an industrialized country, and after that, the country needs another 30 or 40 more years to develop into a modernized one. This was predicted by Xu Kuangdi, president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), at a recent local symposium in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province. China is now on the way to industrialization and modernization, Xu said, noting that China has set up a basically independent industrial system, but in the
Chinese Travel Agencies Face Two Challenges
Chinese travel agencies have great potential as tourism suppliers, but they are facing two major challenges, said Liu Jiaxiang, chairman of the China Travel Service Group of China (CTS). He explained that globalization in the information era has provided consumers with greater and more direct access to tourism resources. Some of the original functions of travel agencies are being challenged by the internet. China's entry into the WTO expedited the "opening" of the tourism industry. Growing numbe
Nation's Satellite Towns Need Planning
Aiming to solve the increasing problems caused by urbanization, experts used a national workshop at the weekend to call for China's large cities to put more effort into developing satellite towns and to use new ideas to reach the goal. "Diversified programmes to develop satellite towns are necessary," said Ren Xingzhou, deputy director of the Market Economy Research Department at the State Council's Development Research Centre, at the workshop in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. "Our country is unde
Planning Urged for Nation's Satellite Towns
Aiming to solve the increasing problems caused by urbanization, experts used a national workshop at the weekend to call for China's large cities to put more effort into developing satellite towns and to use new ideas to reach the goal. "Diversified programs to develop satellite towns are necessary," said Ren Xingzhou, deputy director of the Market Economy Research Department at the State Council's Development Research Center, at the workshop in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. "Our country is underg
Experts: China Needs to Plan Its Satellite Towns
Aiming to solve the increasing problems caused by urbanization, experts used a national workshop at the weekend to call for China's large cities to put more effort into developing satellite towns and to use new ideas to reach the goal. "Diversified programs to develop satellite towns are necessary," said Ren Xingzhou, deputy director of the Market Economy Research Department at the State Council's Development Research Centre, at the workshop in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. "Our country is underg
Seminar held in China to re-evaluate Pearl S. Buck
A seminar on Pearl S. Buck concluded recently in Zhenjiang, this east China city with Chinese scholars discussing on re-evaluation of the works and deeds of the once controversial American author.
The seminar was held as part of a series of activities to mark the 110th anniversary of birth of the Nobel and Pulitzer prizes winner.
Professor Wang Yingguo, of Nanjing University's Department of Chinese Language and Literature said, "Comments Pearl Buck made about East and West dissatis
China marks 110th anniversary of birth of Pearl S. Buck
Zhenjiang, this east China city that once was home to noted American author Pearl S. Buck held a ceremony recently to celebrate the 110th anniversary of her birth.
In the Jiangsu Province city where the Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author lived and taught for 18 years, her former residence was renovated and a set of commemorative stamps in her honor were issued.
At the ceremony, Guo Lirong, vice president of the city's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said Buc
China shifts family planning focus to reproductive services
The focus of China's family planning work has shifted from pure population control to providing the best reproductive services.
Experts attending the Sixth Asia-Pacific Social Science and Medicine Conference said the change was a result of the country's wider cooperation with other countries.
Since 1971 when the one-child family planning policy was drawn up, a dozen international organizations including the United Nations Population Fund, the Ford Foundation and the Population Coun
HKSAR passport holders to enjoy visa-free access to Saint Lucia
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) passport holders will enjoy visa-free access to Saint Lucia.
The government of the Hong Kong SAR announced recently that confirmation had been received from the Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation of Saint Lucia to grant visa-free access for HKSAR passport holders for a stay up to28 days with immediate effect.
They, however, must possess a passport with 6 months validity, a return ticket and sufficie
Replica Swedish ship to retrace historic China voyage
Sweden is recreating a historic sailboat in order to make it retrace the journey to China more than 250 years ago.
About 120 Swedish workers are building a replica of Gotheborg, a sailboat that made three voyages to China but capsized in the third tour, according to sources with an official Swedish delegation visiting Shanghai.
The Gotheborg, which was nearly 60 meters long and had a capacity of 900 tons, was built in the 18th century when the Scandinavian nation was striving for t
China's railway sector uses more foreign capital
China's railway sector has so far set up more than 200 joint ventures with foreign investors and used 200 million US dollars of foreign capital, Minister of Railways Fu Zhihuan said recently.
Fu said at a press conference that since 1998, the railway sector has signed agreements on 1.23 billion dollars of foreign loans.
While foreign capital has been used to introduce state-of-the-art equipment and new technology, management expertise has also be introduced, playing a significant r
Huge loan for new Beijing subway line
The Beijing Branch of China Construction Bank will provide 8 billion yuan (about 964 million US dollars) for the planned No.5 subway line in the Chinese national capital, Beijing Daily reported recently.
According to an agreement signed recently between the bank and the Beijing Subway Group, the first 3 billion yuan (about 362 million US dollars) will be used as working capital to cover relocation costs and other preparatory work, said the newspaper.
The 27.6 km subway line will st
Old Beijing residential houses to be protected
China's capital city plans to protect more than 500 courtyard residential houses of the old "siheyuan" style.
The government has carried out an inspection of more than 3,000 siheyuan in the old district of the city since the beginning of last year and selected an initial 539 sites for protection, said Mei Ninghua, director of the municipal government's cultural relics bureau.
"The other 2,000 or so houses will not be pulled down," Mei said.
The siheyuan-style home typically
Construction of Qinghai-Tibet Railway proceeding smoothly
Significant achievements have been made in the course of building the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, especially in the areas of ecological and environmental protection and labor security, said Fu Zhihuan, minister of railways, at a press conference here recently.
Fu said that solutions have been found for the three major technical problems in the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, namely, the perma-frost earth, the lack of oxygen at high altitudes and the challenge of ensuring environment
Feasibility studies for Beijing-Shanghai high speed railroad
China is conducting feasibility studies for the Beijing-Shanghai high speed railway project, the first in China, Minister of Railways Fu Zhihuan said here recently.
Railway officials are also evaluating the Maglev and orbit technologies while deciding which one will be used, Fu said at a press conference.
Fu said that it is essential for China to build a high speed railway between Beijing and Shanghai via Tianjin, because the Beijing-Shanghai Railway is now over-burdened and alread
New expressway opens in southwest China
A new expressway between Qujing and Shengjingguan opened to traffic recently, marking the completion of east-west express traffic across Yunnan Province in southwest China.
It is also part of the national highway starting from Shanghai in east China and ending at Ruili of Yunnan.
The new expressway, which is 74.8 km long and cost 2.24 billion yuan (270 million US dollars) to build, is part of Yunnan's efforts to upgrade its road network.
The new road is expected to promote t
Survey: business air travels expected to increase in 2003
Most international business travelers expect to maintain or increase their current business travels in 2003, according to a survey released here on Oct.24 by the American Express Corporate Services.
Among the 1,400 respondents from 14 economies in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia, 91 percent expect to either maintain or increase their business travels during 2003.
These respondents, who accepted interviews via telephone in August this year, have completed at least one
Chewing gum spitting fined on Tian'anmen Square
Chewing gum droppers on Tian'anmenSquare in the center of Beijing risk a 20 to 50 yuan (2.4 to 6 US dollars) fine from municipal authorities beginning on Oct.24, said a source with the square management committee.
The committee will work together with the municipality management sectors from Beijing's eastern district to enforce the new gum law on the 400,000-sq.m square.
Nearly 1,000 people have been working to remove 600,000 wads of chewing gum carelessly discarded by residents a
Experts call for better protection of tourists
Tourism experts urged Chinese travel agents to upgrade the protection of their customers traveling abroad in the wake of this month's car-bomb attacks in the Indonesian resort of Bali, China Daily reported recently.
Experts said travel agents should work more closely with insurance operators and increase the amount of insurance cover for tourists to minimize the loss in case of accidents.
Zhang Guangrui, a tourism researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said tourist
Ancient Chinese Village Unearthed
A village thought to be 8,200 years old has been unearthed by archaeologists in north China. Experts said the primitive village, which was discovered on Friday in Chifeng of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, was the best preserved and largest of the early settlements to have been excavated in the country. Eleven rectangular houses and 10 tombs have been explored. According to the earth surface investigation, there are a total of 150 houses in the village. Divided into three areas, the houses
Egyptians Enthusiastic about Chinese Culture
Egyptians showed enthusiasm for traditional Chinese culture as they enjoyed a combo performance of Beijing Opera, Chinese music and acrobatics on Monday night. "Chinese art is wonderful and amazing," Cairo University student Ingy Adel told Xinhua at the end of the show, which kicked off a week of Chinese cultural activities in Egypt. A strong team of selected Chinese artists from the realms of Beijing Opera, traditional Chinese music and acrobatics have been here to satisfy the Egyptian desire t
Egyptians Enthusiastic About Chinese Culture
Egyptians showed enthusiasm for traditional Chinese culture as they enjoyed a combo performance of Beijing Opera, Chinese music and acrobatics on Monday night. "Chinese art is wonderful and amazing," Cairo University student Ingy Adel told Xinhua at the end of the show, which kicked off a week of Chinese cultural activities in Egypt. A strong team of selected Chinese artists from the realms of Beijing Opera, traditional Chinese music and acrobatics have been here to satisfy the Egyptian desire t
Taiwan Lawmakers Propose Charter Flight to Mainland
More than half of Taiwan's "parliament" members have petitioned the local authorities to allow Taiwan airlines to run charter flights to Chinese mainland as a step toward lifting the half-century ban on direct air links across the Taiwan Straits. Taiwan people now have to travel to the mainland through a third airport, usually Hong Kong, adding extra time and expense. In the petition to Chen Shuibian's so-called "Cabinet", the 121 lawmakers suggested that charter flights be allowed between Taipe
Ancient Chinese Village Unearthed
A village thought to be 8,200 years old has been unearthed by archaeologists in north China. Experts said the primitive village, which was discovered on Friday in Chifeng of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, was the best preserved and largest of the early settlements to have been excavated in the country, reported Xinhua. Eleven rectangular houses and 10 tombs have been explored. According to the earth surface investigation, there are a total of 150 houses in the village. Divided into three
Ancient Flute Provides Clue to Origins of Traditional Chinese Music
An 8,700-year-old bone flute unearthed in central China's Henan Province has been proven to use a seven-tone scale, an unusual number in traditional Chinese music, said a local researcher at the regular Asian-Pacific international museum conference held recently in Shanghai, east China. Traditional Chinese music usually uses a five-tone scale. These tones in ancient times were dubbed Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zhi and Yu, corresponding to 1,2,3,5 and 6 in numbered musical notation. The location where th
China to Publicize Juridical Results Involving Foreigners
The Chinese juridical department has pledged to clear up and replace judicial interpretations falling short of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
In conjunction, courts across the nation will make public juridical results related to maritime and com
Chinese people change view of AIDS
About two years ago, Zhang Jianxin,a professor with Sichuan University then, was on the verge of abandoning an AIDS prevention and treatment program due to the lack of cooperation from local residents.
Today, the Sino-British cooperative program is a great success and has been implemented throughout Sichuan Province in southwest China. The new concepts and teaching methods introduced from abroad have been well-received by the people there.
"International cooperation has provided no
Chinese, US scientists launch AIDS treatment study in south China
A team of Chinese and American researchers has launched a clinical study of HIV/AIDS treatment in China's AIDS-stricken Yunnan Province with the objective of developing a strategy for nationwide treatment.
Through the pilot project, in which 300 patients are being treated with the triple combination antiretroviral therapy, more commonly known as "the cocktail therapy", the researchers hope that their findings will help them to develop treatment methods for the large number of HIV positive
Former house of famous writer opens to public
The old house where prominent Chinese writer Qian Zhongshu spent his childhood has survived demolition and been turned into museum commemorating him.
The house has been rebuilt since last December and recently opened to the public displaying the late Qian's life and achievements.
The 100-year-old house is located in the quiet old town of Wuxi in east China's Jiangsu Province, where Qian Zhongshu and several other renowned scholars in his family were born and brought up.
The
Coca-Cola plans six more bottling plants in China
Coca-Cola (China) Beverages Ltd announced recently plans to invest 150 million US dollars in six new bottling plants in China in the next two or three years.
Paul Etchells, president of the company, said the planned investment would increase the company's total number of bottling plants in China to 34.
At a ceremony marking the fifth founding anniversary of Chengdu Coca-Cola Beverages Ltd, Etchells said the planned investment would enable the company to get a larger share of the so
Construction begins on Shanghai's deep-water port
The first phase of construction of the 14.31 billion yuan Yangshan deep water port got underway recently. Construction of the port is considered to be crucial to Shanghai's quest to become an international maritime shipping center.
The deep-water port will be located in Shengsi County of Zhejiang Province at the mouth of the Yangtze River, about 45 kilometers from the Pudong international airport and 30 kilometers from Luchao port in Shanghai's Nanhui district.
With an annual avera
Wolves prowl China's second largest desert
Herdsmen around Badain Jaran, China's second largest desert, are losing their flocks to marauding wolves, but ecological experts are celebrating.
Oqir, an official with Yabrai village of Alxa Right Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, told Xinhua that more than 300 lambs and 100 camels had been attacked by wild wolves in the last three years.
Gao Jinxiang, a herdsman, lost more than 60 sheep in one attack. Li Meiying said wolves killed 80 of her lambs and more th
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to perform in Beijing
Australia's Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will perform here on Nov. 9 and 10, the China Performing Arts Agency (CPAA) announced recently.
The troupe has prepared masterpieces by great musicians including Beethoven, Mozart and Dvorak for Chinese audiences. A musical piece produced by an overseas Chinese, Yu Jingjun, will also be premiered.
The CPAA said joint performance by Chinese and foreign artists has become popular among Chinese audience in recent years, indicating the growing r
China's 2nd international competition for singers opens in Beijing
China's 2nd International Competition for Singers (CICS) opened here on Oct.25 in the Tianqiao Theater.
Chen Xiaoguang, Chinese vice-minister of Culture said at the opening ceremony that the CICS is a government-sponsored international artistic competition which meets international standards in terms of its organization, competition content and the quantity and quality of the contestants.
The 12-day gala will award four prizes each to the male and female singer categories. One Chin
Beijing starts building science park for environmental protection
Beijing officially began construction of its first science park for environmental protection technologies recently in central Zhongguancun, the well-known "Silicon Valley of China."
"Because the foundations of success are well-established in the environmental protection industries in Beijing, indications look promising for the overall industrial upgrading," said Wang Yuqing, vice-minister of the State Environment Protection Administration.
According to Wang, the current level of en
Beijing offers seven bids for Olympic stadiums, gymnasiums
Seven stadiums and gymnasiums for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are inviting bid from all over the world, the Beijing Municipal Planning Commission (BMPC) said here on Oct.25.
The seven are the National Sports Stadium (the main stadium), the National Swimming Center, the Conference Center, the National Gymnasium, the Olympic Village, the Aquatic Olympic Park and the Beijing Predial Racecourse.
According to the BMPC, bidders should be those corporations that are legally registered
China outlines future plans for expansion of road network
By 2050, China's road network will cover over four million kilometers, compared to the current 1.7 million kilometers, and the quality of road transportation will be on a par with that of developed countries, Vice Minister of Communications Hu Xijie said here recently.
Hu was outlining the development of China's road transportation network in the first half of the 21st century in his address to the 2002 China Road Transportation Development Forum (CRTDF).
According to Hu, by the mi
Chinese travel agencies face two challenges: expert
Chinese travel agencies have great potential as tourism suppliers, but they are facing two major challenges, said Liu Jiaxiang, chairman of the China Travel Service Group of China (CTS).
He explained that globalization in the information era has provided consumers with greater and more direct access to tourism resources. Some of the original functions of travel agencies are being challenged by the internet.
China's entry into the WTO expedited the "opening" of the tourism industry.
China, Germany to establish joint venture travel agency
The China Travel Service Group of China (CTS) and the German TUI Group have announced plans to set up a joint venture travel agency in Beijing. The cooperative agreement will be signed in a couple of days.
The joint venture will focus on luring European tourists to China and on business travel, said Liu Jiaxiang, chairman of CTS Group China.
Liu said the joint venture, with TUI's experience and management skills, will raise the overall level of China's travel agencies.
With
China implements new flight timetable
A new timetable will be in effect from October 27, 2002 to March 29, 2003 for flights arriving to and departing from China, as well as for domestic flights.
A total of 24,039 flights will be scheduled in 128 airports during the period, including 1,618 flights corresponding to 59 foreign airlines and 1,373 international flights corresponding to 20 domestic airlines.
The number of flights has been increased in line with changing demand in eastern and western areas. Tourism destinatio
Nine South China Students Visit US on Cultural Exchange
Nine Chinese high school students left Beihai for Tulsa, Oklahoma in the United States on Wednesday for a one-month cultural exchange. The trip by the students and two teachers from a high school in Beihai, a port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is funded by a Sino-US youth exchange program. They will stay with US high school students and their families for the next 30 days. One of the Chinese students said the group had made contact on line with the US students and their fami
Earliest Biography of Mao Zedong Discovered
The earliest edition of Mao Zedong's biography was discovered recently in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province. The book, written by renowned American journalist Edgar Snow, was published in Shanghai on November 1, 1937, according to the Guangzhou-based Yangcheng Evening News. In the book, Snow described in detail the experiences of Mao's childhood and his revolutionary early life, causing a great stir in areas controlled by the Kuomintang such as Shanghai. According to histori
Guangzhou Travel System Simplified
Starting next month, Guangzhou residents will need only an identity card and a household registration to apply for a passport or travel document. The provincial capital becomes the 10th city in Guangdong to introduce such simplified passport application procedures. The other cities are Zhongshan, Shunde, Zhuhai, Jiangmen, Foshan, Yangjiang, Shenzhen, Dongguan and Huizhou. All lie on the prosperous Pearl River Delta which borders Hong Kong and Macao. Applicants should be able to get their passpor
Museum Preserves Ancient Frescos
Along a three-meter-long passage, archaeologist Shao Guotian and his colleagues walked into a tomb built a thousand years ago. As the torch shed light on the tomb wall, they saw five Khitan warriors on horseback raising whips and drawing bows as they hunted a red tiger. "The precious frescoes in Liao Dynasty (916-1125) tombs, painted with minerals, are still colorful and vivid today," Shao said. The fresco images of the Khitans were significant as the Khitans prospered in northern China and were
Snapshots in Time Record Ecological Change
More than 70 years ago, Austrian-American scholar, Joseph F. Rock set out to explore southwest China's Yunnan Province. There he took some 3,000 photographs documenting the local people, their culture and the geography of the province at the time. Some 70 years later, Bob Moseley, an American biologist supported by The Nature Conservancy, a leading organization in the field, has once again framed the very same mountains and villages in his lens. The pictures serve to reflect the ecological chang
Snapshots in Time Record Ecological Change
More than 70 years ago, Austrian-American scholar, Joseph F. Rock set out to explore southwest China's Yunnan Province. There he took some 3,000 photographs documenting the local people, their culture and the geography of the province at the time. Some 70 years later, Bob Moseley an American biologist supported by The Nature Conservancy, a leading organization in the field, has once again framed the very same mountains and villages in his lens. The pictures serve to reflect the ecological change
Conservatory Focuses on Folk Songs
The Chaozhou Folk Music Concert on Thursday will be the third to the last concert of the Fifth Beijing Music Festival. However, the concert will mark the beginning of an important project by the China Conservatory of Music. Presided by Liu Dehai, a master of the pipa, a four-stringed plucked instrument, and professor at the China Conservatory of Music, the Project One is aimed at preserving traditional Chinese folk music. The goal of Project One is to study one type of traditional Chinese folk m
Helping Children Find Their Voice
Thirteen-year-old Yi Yuanyuan led her language class recently, telling in English about her weekend and trying to get her classmates to participate in the discussion. Yi's attempt at teaching is all part of the Wild Duck program at Yuyang Middle School, a private school in Tianjin, which encourages students to actively participate in school. Each student must take turns giving a presentation or lesson. The students here take it seriously and thoroughly prepare for lessons just as teachers would.
Guangzhou Travel System Simplified
Starting next month, Guangzhou residents will need only an identity card and a household registration to apply for a passport or travel document. The provincial capital becomes the 10th city in Guangdong to introduce such simplified passport application procedures. The other cities are Zhongshan, Shunde, Zhuhai, Jiangmen, Foshan, Yangjiang, Shenzhen, Dongguan and Huizhou. All lie on the prosperous Pearl River Delta which borders Hong Kong and Macao. Applicants should be able to get their passpor
Rules Promulgated to Govern Forex Dealing
The Chinese authorities yesterday announced provisional rules governing insurance companies' foreign exchange dealings, filling a legal lacuna that has led to irregularities. The rules, promulgated jointly by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) and China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC), contained clauses on the market access of forex-related insurance services, the roles of insurance brokerages and agencies, as well as forex management requirements. The provisional regulat
Dunhuang Art Scholar's Paintings Donated
Paintings by the late Chang Shuhong, a renowned Chinese painter and expert on Dunhuang Art, were donated by his family to the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development Wednesday. The foundation plans to auction the paintings at a later date to raise funds for the research, study and preservation of cultural relics of the Dunhuang Grottoes in northwest China's Gansu Province. Chang, who died in 1994 at the age of 90, was the first director of the Research Institute of Dunhuang Cultura
Blair: China-UK Ties on Good Momentum
British Prime Minister Tony Blair met with visiting Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao at No. 10 Downing Street on Monday and they conducted a wide and in-depth exchange of views on bilateral ties and international issues of mutual concern.
Blair express
China invites Nobel Laureate to help combat mad cow disease
D. Carleton Gajdusek, winner of the 1976 Nobel Prize in medicine, was invited by the Beijing Inspection and Quarantine Bureau to act as a consultant for the bureau's mad cow disease lab.
Gajdusek, awarded the Nobel Prize for his discoveries concerning "new mechanisms for the origin and dissemination of infectious disease," said he would help China improve its research and prevention of mad cow disease.
Wei Chuanzhong, director of the bureau, said the issue of food safety has increa
Leaders attend lecture by Chinese-American Nobel laureate
Tsung Dao Lee, a Chinese-American Nobel laureate physicist, gave a lecture titled "The Challenge of Physics" at Zhongnanhai, the headquarters of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council.
Among those present were Premier Zhu Rongji and Vice-Premier Li Lanqing, both members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau.
The Nobel laureate, who was awarded the top academic prize in 1957 together with his collaborator and fellow Chinese-America
Science the driving force of China's economy
When years ago some Westerners doubted China's ability to feed its large population, they did not see a great potential of its science and technology, Yuan Longping, a Chinese scientist on hybrid rice, said here recently.
The population of China rose by hundreds of millions in the past two decades, with the per-capita food supplies over the same period climbing from 300 to 400 kilograms.
Prestigious agronomist Yuan, revered as the "father of hybrid rice" in China, said China's prog
Scholar: China's population control a must for development
China should continue its state policy of population control in the first half of this century if the country is to enjoy sustainable development, China Daily quoted a demographer here recently.
Tian Xueyuan, a professor of population with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the population issue is the "linchpin" of China's sustainable development and urged the government to incorporate the issue into its whole strategy of sustainable development.
Warning that the country'
Yellow River slowing formation of "new continent"
The Yellow River, China's second longest, carries a large amount of sand every year through valleys and across plains to form a delta at its entrance into the sea.
In recent years, however, the process has been slowing down as the river creates only approximately 600 to 1,300 hectares of land annually, down from 2,000 hectares in the 1954-1982 period, according to surveys from water resources departments in the eastern Shandong province, where the Yellow River joins the Bohai Bay.
China's transportation company joins hands with Greyhound
The New National Express Group Co. Ltd, a trans-provincial expressway transportation company in China, signed a group of contracts here recently with Greyhound Canada Transportation Corp.
The two companies will join hands for transporation development of the road network in China. This is the first cooperation between the two sides.
Specifically, their cooperation will target management skills and transportation of small goods as well as international and domestic tourists. China w
Beijing ready to welcome international financial companies
Beijing Mayor Liu Qi recently told visiting Lord Mayor of the City of London Michael Oliver that Beijing stands ready to welcome all world-renowned financial agencies who wish to open businesses in Beijing "with open arms".
Liu, the newly-named secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, told the guests here that Beijing is making great efforts to develop its tertiary industries, especially in the financial sector.
The secretary also remarked that
China's road transport enterprises encouraged to develop in scale
The time has come for China's road transportation enterprises to increase their scale through intensive management and through reform and a restructuring of assets.
The increase of scale is crucial in light of China's sustained economic development, the rapid expansion of its road network and in light of the fierce competition from foreign enterprises in China.
Wang Zhanyi, chairman of the China Road Transport Association, made the remarks at the 2002 China Road Transport Developme
Painting, photo and calligraphy show opens
An exhibition of paintings, photos and calligraphic works by Chinese artists opened in Beijing on Oct.25 to greet the upcoming 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
The week-long exhibition is co-sponsored by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC), the Chinese Artists Association, the Chinese Photographers Association, and the Chinese Calligraphers Association. More than 280 national award-winning works are on display.
CFLAC Vice-President
Israeli photo exhibition opens in north China
An Israeli photograph exhibition opened at the largest university in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Oct.24.
The exhibition, with a total of 99 pictures, comprises two parts, one on world-renowned Jews and one on natural scenery.
Visitors can see portraits of 73 famous overseas Jews, including Karl Marx, Albert Einstein and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, as well as 26 pictures of spectacular natural scenery.
The exhibition is jointly sponsore
China's Kunqu Festival held in E. China
A Chinese Kunqu festival was inaugurated Sunday (Oct.27) in Kunshan City of east China's Jiangsu Province, to celebrate the 1st anniversary of the opera being listed as a masterpiece of oral and intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The week-long gala will feature 42 young artists, who will perform and compete for 21 awards of 1,200 U.S. dollars each. The Chinese Ministry of Culture (MOC) will also award 32 artists f
Beijing restores cultural sites for 2008 Olympics
Scaffolding is covering many historic sites in China's capital as the city restores its landmarks in time for the "human-oriented Olympics" in 2008.
The overhauling of the entire Forbidden City, the first since 1911, is well underway and expected to be completed in time for the Olympics, said Jin Hongkui, deputy curator of the Palace Museum.
In southeastern Beijing, ranks of workers are laying ancient bricks donated by local residents to rebuild a section of the once-demolished Min
Protection of Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor urged
The Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor, the legendary ancestor of the Chinese nation, should be well-preserved, protected and administered, said Li Ruihuan, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Saturday.
Li, who is a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau and honorary chairman of the Tomb of Yellow Emperor Fund, praised the restoration work which is being carrie
Premier urges greater efforts to modernize meteorological sector
Premier Zhu Rongji has called for greater efforts to modernize China's meteorological operations during an inspection to the China Meteorological Administration.
The premier held talks with officials, experts and academicians, as well as with delegates attending the 25th congress of the Meteorology Society of China.
The country's meteorological departments had played an important role in preventing and reducing the impact of natural calamities, promoting economic and social develop
Reviving Chinese Kunqu Opera Promising: Experts
Judging from excellent performances by young Chinese artists at the Kunqu Opera Festival, prospects look promising for reviving the traditional opera style, according to Dai Yinglu of the Arts Department of China's Ministry of Culture. The Kunqu Opera Festival debuted on Oct. 27 in east China's Jiangsu Province. It assembled nearly 100 young artists from China's six national Kunqu troupes, among whom 42 were competing for the national awards, the official told Xinhua in Suzhou on Thursday. Exper
Experts Claim Discovery of Oldest Great Wall Section
The oldest section of the Great Wall was built during ancient China's Chu Kingdom, during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), experts said at an academic conference held last week in Lushan County, central China's Henan Province. Xiao Luyang, director of the Institute of Archaeology of Henan Academy of Social Sciences, said the walls, with a total length of around 800 km, are believed to have been built in 688 BC Striding across one city, Wugang, and four counties, Lushan, Yexian, Fangche
China?Western Provinces Join Hands to Protect Antelopes
Three independent Tibetan antelope protection associations in west China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Tibetan Autonomous Region, and Qinghai Province are striving to reach a cooperative approach on protecting Tibetan antelopes. They will also collaborate on scientific research and functional construction and promotion of reservations, in a bid to better protect one of the world's most endangered animals. The Altun Mountain Reserve of Xinjiang, Qinghai's Hoh Xil Reserve, and Qiangtang Rese
Scholar: Progress No Threat to Traditional Ethnic Culture
Only through social and economic development and communication with the outside world, can an ethnic culture be appreciated, preserved and encouraged, a Chinese scholar of ethnic studies said in Beijing on Thursday. Zheng Xiaoyun, a researcher with the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, told an international symposium on human rights that while ethnic culture should be protected, the right of ethnic people to progress should also be respected. Zheng, from southwest China's Yunnan Province, said
Int'l Conference on Traditional Chinese Medicine to Be Held Soon
The 2002 International Conference on the Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine is set to be held in Chengdu, capital city of southwestern Sichuan Province from November 3 to 5. It is being promoted as the largest and highest-ranking event on traditional Chinese medicine ever held in China. The three-day conference is expected to draw approximately 4,000 Chinese and foreign scholars and government officials including several Nobel Prize winners and more than 20 Chinese academics. Major to
Western Provinces Join Hands to Protect Antelopes
Three independent Tibetan antelope protection associations in west China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Tibet Autonomous Region, and Qinghai Province are striving to reach a cooperative approach on protecting Tibetan antelopes. They will also collaborate on scientific research and functional construction and promotion of reservations, in a bid to better protect one of the world's most endangered animals. The Altun Mountain Reserve of Xinjiang, Qinghai's Hoh Xil Reserve, and Qiangtang Reserv
Mainland Ready for 'Direct Links' Across Taiwan Straits
Beijing may allow direct charter flights across the Taiwan Straits early next year, a senior Taiwan affairs official said Wednesday. The move would be regarded as an interim measure while Beijing pushes for the establishment of the so-called "three direct links'' -- on transport, trade and postal services. Li Weiyi, spokesman with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said that the mainland is willing to take active measures to facilitate such a flight arrangement. The move came as bus
Guangzhou Simplifies Travel System
Starting next month, Guangzhou residents will need only an identity card and a household registration to apply for a passport or travel document. The provincial capital becomes the 10th city in Guangdong to introduce such simplified passport application procedures. The other cities are Zhongshan, Shunde, Zhuhai, Jiangmen, Foshan, Yangjiang, Shenzhen, Dongguan and Huizhou. All lie on the prosperous Pearl River Delta which borders Hong Kong and Macao. Applicants should be able to get their passpor
Further Development Expected in Sino-German Relations
Starting from October 31, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will pay a visit to China. Germany, the largest country among the European Union countries, is also the largest trade partner of China in Europe. It is widely expected that Schroeder's visit to
Program to Combat Dust Storms
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is launching a project called the "International Dust Storm Program." Experts attending an international conference on dust storms in Beijing on Thursday said that the program which would help such countries as the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea to fight one of mankind's enemies -- the dust storm. The program will use such methods as information and laboratory analysis as well as field observation combined with digital model research. It aims
High-flying Ambassador
Sally Oliver became Lady Mayoress of London when her husband Michael was elected as the 674th Lord Mayor of the City of London in November last year. Since 1189, when the first mayor was elected, the role has changed over the years while preserving long-standing customs and traditions. Today, the role of the Lord Mayor is as head of the Corporation of London, which is the local authority of London's Square Mile (The City), the world's leading international financial center. And within his busy y
China and Asia's Aviation Markets Continue to Expand: PATA
China and the Pacific Asia region's aviation market continue to perform well relative to global figures, with 30 to 50-plus percentage increase in international traffic expected in China, a travel association president said. President and CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)Peter de Jong made the remarks at the Asia Pacific Aviation Management Roundtable held by the Economist Conference here Thursday. "The engines of growth have been Northeast and Southeast Asia, with Northeast Asia
Foreigners Enjoy Fair Treatment, Prices as China Opens Up
A visit to a McDonald's in downtown Beijing took a French couple on a trip down memory lane --to a time when their purchase of two hamburgers and a glass of Pepsi, at the price of 20.1 RMB yuan (about US$2.4), would have had to be paid in foreign exchange certificates. Now foreigners can pay not only in local currency (RMB) for all their expenses in China, including park entrance and railway and air tickets, but at the same price as the Chinese. Millions of overseas tourists in every corner of C
Equal Prices for Foreigners
A visit to a McDonald's in downtown Beijing took a French couple on a trip down memory lane --to a time when their purchase of two hamburgers and a glass of Pepsi, at the price of 20.1 RMB yuan (about 2.4 US dollars), would have had to be paid in foreign exchange certificates. Now foreigners can pay not only in local currency (RMB) for all their expenses in China, including park entrance and railway and air tickets, but at the same price as the Chinese. Millions of overseas tourists in every cor
Bali Terror Attacks - No Harm to Asian Airlines
The Bali bomb blasts do not appear to have had a noticeable impact on air travel in Asia, industry figures said yesterday. "There appear to be no major implications, apart from a redeployment of traffic to other destinations perceived as being safe," said Jean Louis Morisot, vice-president of Asia-Pacific investment research at investment bank Goldman Sachs. More than 190 people were killed, and hundreds more injured, most of them tourists, when a massive car bomb exploded in the tourist resort
New Travel Route to Famed Scenic Spots to Open
A new travel route providing a package tour to two world-class tourist destinations, the Three Gorges and the Shennongjia Nature Reserve -- known as the home of China's "Bigfoot" -- is to open in central China's Hubei province. When the Three Gorges Dam begins storing water in June 2003, the water level of the Yangtze River will rise to allow visitors to arrive at a wharf in Xingshan county directly by boat. From there they can take a one-hour bus trip to Shennongjia. Hubei is speeding the const
Chinese Program to Combat Dust Storms
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is launching a project called the "International Dust Storm Program". Experts attending an international conference on dust storms in Beijing on Thursday said that the program which would help such countries as the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea to fight one of mankind's enemies -- the dust storm. The program will use such methods as information and laboratory analysis as well as field observation combined with digital model research. It aims
Star TV Expands Home Market
Star TV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of News Corporation, announced yesterday that it will produce TV music programs on the Chinese mainland for its Channel V as part of its strategy to expand in the mainland market. Before that, its Channel V programs were mainly produced in Hong Kong and Taiwan. They will be gradually moved to the mainland. For the objective, Star TV has relocated its China headquarters of Channel V from Hong Kong to Shanghai and it launched a "Made in China" promotion project y
Asia-Pacific Air Market Doing Well
China and the Asia-Pacific region's aviation markets have continued to perform well relative to global figures, with an increase in international traffic of about 30 to 50 percent expected in China, a travel association president said. Peter de Jong, president and chief executive of the Pacific Asia Travel Association was addressing the Asia-Pacific Aviation Management Roundtable held by the Economist Conference in Hong Kong yesterday. "The engines of growth have been Northeast and Southeast Asi
Seminary Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary
The Nanjing Union Theological Seminary yesterday held a 50th-birthday celebration in the capital of East China's Jiangsu Province. Hundreds of alumni from different parts of China and the world attended the ceremony. The seminary's achievements were reviewed by seminary president Bishop K. H. Ting (Ding Guangxun), who is also honorary chairman of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement and honorary president of the China Christian Council. Ting expressed his heartfelt thanks
Source of Mekong River pinpointed
A Chinese scientist has discovered and pinpointed the source of the Mekong River, which passes through more countries than any other river in Asia, through the use of remote-sensing technology.
Liu Shaochuang, a scientist from the Institute of Remote Sensing Application with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), has pinpointed the accurate geological position of the river's source at 94 degrees, 40 minutes, 52 seconds east longitude and 33 degrees, 45 minutes, 48 seconds north latitude.<
Trade forum calls for more border ties
Local officials and entrepreneurs in Southwest China's Yunnan Province and neighbouring regions of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand vowed at a trade forum last week to further enhance their trade ties to help establish a free-trade area between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Fifth Xishuangbanna Border Trade and Tourism Fair and a forum on the China-ASEAN free-trade area opened recently in Jinghong, capital of the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous
Prefecture, whi
China, ASEAN to expand economic cooperation
The first ever Macro-economic Forum on China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) opened recently in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, with over 100 experts focusing on expanding economic cooperation between the two sides.
During the three-day forum, participants from ASEAN and China will discuss how to strengthen economic cooperation between China and the ten ASEAN Member States which include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Chinese firms eye developing trade prospects with ASEAN nations
The picture is getting rosier for trade between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, as shown by many participants from the ASEAN nations attending the ongoing 92nd China Export Commodity Fair held in this capital of south China's Guangdong province.
Chinese fair attendees witnessed a lot of opportunities in ASEAN markets, particularly against the backdrop of the upcoming framework agreement on the China-ASEAN Free-Trade Area due to be signed before the en
Experts: China's population control not rely on abortion
China's family planning does not depend on induced abortion but benefit from good contraceptive measures encouraged and funded by the government, population experts said.
The rate of induced abortion in China was much lower than the average level worldwide, according to Chinese population experts who attended the 6th Asia-Pacific Social Science and Medicine Conference held last week in Kunming City in southwest China.
As a means to control birthrate, induced abortion is widely used
Most Chinese support youth sex education
A survey showed that 89.2 percent of urban dwellers and 74.6 percent of rural residents in China agree that sex education should be conducted in middle schools.
The survey among more than 7,000 people aged between 15 and 49 was carried out by the Society and Medicines Research Center of the Science and Technology Research Institute under the State Family Planning Commission.
The survey also showed that 89.2 percent of urban respondents and 78.9 percent of rural respondents agreed w
Scenic city Hangzhou aims to lead Chinese fashion
Hangzhou,this "paradise on earth" in east China's Zhejiang province is making plans to emerge as the Paris of fashion for Chinese women.
The municipal government is exerting to turn the city, known for its beautiful scenery and time-honored silk products, into a center of designing, manufacturing and marketing fashionable dresses.
By doing so, the local government also aims to create more job opportunities to reduce the unemployment rate.
The total output value of the city's
China holds design contest for main stadium of Beijing Olympiad
China on Oct.25 invited architects worldwide to design a 100,000-seat Olympic sports stadium which will serve as the main stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
According to the Beijing Municipal Planning Commission (BMPC) and the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG), architects from all over the world are allowed to put forward their designs for the National Stadium, which will be used for the opening and closing ceremonies as well as track and field event.
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Border fair in SW China generates 280-million-yuan trade
A 10-day border trade fair in Xishuangbanna in southwest China's Yunnan Province has reported trade worth 280 million yuan (33.86 million U.S. dollars).
The trade fair, which ended on Monday, attracted more than 2,000 business people from China and such neighbors as Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.
Xishuangbanna, a prefecture in southern Yunnan, shares a 900-kmborder with Laos and Myanmar.
Last year Xishuangbannan generated cross-border trade worth 800 million yuan, accounting fo
Int'l conference on traditional Chinese medicine to be held soon
The 2002 International Conference on the Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine is set to be held in Chengdu the capital city of southwestern Sichuan province from November 3 to 5.
It is being promoted as the largest and highest-ranking event on traditional Chinese medicine ever held in China.
The three-day conference is expected to draw approximately 4,000 Chinese and foreign scholars and government officials including several Nobel Prize winners and more than 20 Chinese ac
Turkish Airlines launches flights between HK, Istanbul
Turkish Airlines launched Tuesday its new flights between Hong Kong and Istanbul, with the inaugural flight landing at the Hong Kong International Airport at 16:30 local time (8:30 GMT).
The airline will run the flights on Tuesdays and Sundays via Bangkok.
The new service would provide useful new links to many cities throughout Turkey, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Commonwealth of Independent States, the Middle East and North Africa, said David JPang, chief executive officer of the
Air route opens from Bangkok to E China city Xiamen
An air route between Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, and Xiamen, a coastal city in east China's Fujian Province, opened on Tuesday.
Xiamen is the seventh Chinese city to which Thai Airways International operates a direct flight. The other six are Beijing,Shanghai, Kunming, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Hong Kong. The airline runs a total of 80 flights per week to China so far.
The flight from Bangkok to Xiamen takes three hours, and is scheduled for every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Once epic Long March trail increasingly traveled by tourists in China
Red Tourism is growing in popularity in China. Swarms of travelers are visible along the path trodden by the Chinese Red Army as it made its epic Long March in the mid 1930s through Southwest China.
The Red Army made the 25,000 Li (12,500 km) march from 1934 to 1936 in order to transfer its major forces from areas along the Yangtze River to a revolutionary base in Northwest China's Shaanxi province.
Now, in the golden Autumn days, tour guides can be heard hailing their clients in a
Ancient pagoda rebuilt in Hangzhou city
The restoration of the Leifeng Pagoda, one of the most famous ancient architectural structures in China, was completed on Oct.25 in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, in eastern China.
A ceremony was held to mark the occasion by the provincial government and the municipal government of Hangzhou, a city known for its scenic West Lake, one of the major tourism attractions in east China.
Construction of the pagoda began in 972 and was completed four years later.
In 192
Pressing Great Wall Protection
The Great Wall is a symbol of civilization. At the moment, people can only see one third of the 12,700 li (6,400 kilometers) long wall. A further third is obscured by stone and sand, and the remaining portion has completely vanished, said Dong Yaohui, secretary-general of the China Great Wall Society. The China Great Wall Society organized a special group to travel 9,000 kilometers, from August 4 to September 16 this year, to investigate over 100 sections of the Great Wall and determine the need
Toying with the Future
There is a popular story about toys in China. A man took a business trip to the United States. In a large shopping mall he bought some gifts for his daughter, lovely toys the like of which he had never encountered in China. When her daughter opened the expensive presents, she cried out: "Dad, these toys are made in China." The story has many variants, but all of them reflect an indubitable truth -- China-made toys are taking a great market share in global markets. Reports from the International
Pressing Great Wall Protection
The Great Wall is a symbol of civilization. At the moment, people can only see one third of the 12,700 li (6,400 kilometers) long wall. A further third is obscured by stone and sand, and the remaining portion has completely vanished, said Dong Yaohui, secretary-general of the China Great Wall Society. The China Great Wall Society organized a special group to travel 9,000 kilometers, from August 4 to September 16 this year, to investigate over 100 sections of the Great Wall and determine the need
Southeast Asia Urges World Not to Warn Against Visits
A summit of Southeast Asian nations demanded on Monday that the rest of the world stop issuing warnings against travel to a region that depends on tourism for large amounts of revenue. Still reeling from the shock of a devastating bombing on Indonesia's resort island of Bali last month that killed more than 180 people, many of them tourists dancing at a popular nightspot, the appeal marked rare unanimity for the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). "We call on the international commu
Scientists: human activities intensifying desertification in China
Human activities have driven the desert in north China southward by approximately 300 kilometers over the past 3,000 years.
This was the conclusion of a team of scientists from the Earth Environment Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the University of Western Australia and the US University of Arizona.
However, from a mass of data on environmental changes from ancient times to the present affecting the desert-loess transition zone near the big bend of t
Inner Mongolia green belt to halt spread of deserts
China has poured huge sums of money into environmental protection projects in Inner Mongolia since 2000 in a bid to protect the whole of north China, particularly the capital, Beijing, from worsening sandstorms.
Meng Qinglong, a planning official with the government of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, said the region's investment in ecological construction was among the highest in China.
In 2000, the central government pledged 1.75 billion yuan for ecological construction, the
Nation ensures 20 million urban people's basic living standards
Nearly 20 million low-income urban residents have been ensured from state funds for their basic living standards, according to statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs released recently.
The statistics show that only 4.02 million people nationwide received funds for their basic living standards in early 2001.
So far, China has spent 7.38 billion yuan (889 million US dollars) to guarantee low-income people's basic living standards, according to the ministry.
Most of the
HK to host Int'l Association of Forensic Science World Meeting
Hong Kong would host the 2005 International Association of Forensic Science (IAFS) World Meeting, the Hong Kong Tourism Board said recently.
More than 1,000 of the world's leading practitioners would gather in Hong Kong for the meeting, which will be the second time the triennial conference has been staged in Asia in the event's 45-year history.
Hong Kong Tourism Board Executive director Clara Chong said winning the IAFS 2005 bid reinforced Hong Kong's strength as the premier regio
Economic giants mushrooming in Yangtze River Delta
A big group of economic giants has emerged in east China's Yangtze River Delta, which features a number of cities with gross domestic product (GDP) above 50 billion yuan (6 billion US dollars) or even 100 billion yuan (12 billion dollars).
These 15 cities clustered in under 100,000 sq km recorded GDP of more than 1,686 billion yuan (about 203.13 billion dollars) last year, 17.6 percent of the national total. Their imports and exports made up nearly 30 percent of China's total trade last y
Charter signed in Shanghai on protection of intangible heritage
Museum representatives from Asian and Pacific regions announced the signing of the Shanghai Charter recently, which urges that museums take on a more significant role in the protection of human intangible heritage.
The charter, published in both Chinese and English languages, reflects the cultural diversity of the Asian and Pacific regions, and encourages the use of multi-disciplinary methods to meet globalization-driven challenges to the intangible heritage in the regions.
Amaresw
China's "dead sea" draws a growing number of tourists
a floating bathing place on a salt lake at Yuncheng city, renowned as the "dead sea" of China, is set to become a new tourist attraction in north China's Shanxi province.
It consists of two floating zones and a mud zone with a total area of more than 8.6 hectares.
Salt content in water ranges from 25 to 30 percent and the water density is more than that of the human body, enabling swimmers to float, said Yang Bin, a professor with the Department of Geology at prestigious Beijing Un
Second subway in Guangzhou almost ready for service
The second subway line in Guangzhou city, one of the major gateways to south China, is expected to be ready for service late this year.
A train was successfully tested at speeds of up to 70km per hour on the subway last month.
The subway, with a length of 18.28 km, traverses downtown Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, from Sanyuanli in the north to Pazhou in the south. The entire project cost over 10 billion yuan (1.21 billion US dollars).
There is already one subway
Shenzhen subway moves swiftly ahead
Workers have begun laying rails on the first subway in Shenzhen city, south China's Guangdong province.
The subway, with 19.5 km of track, will consist of an east-west line and a north-south line with a total of 23 stops.
Construction on the project began in March last year. It is expected to be completed and ready for service in 2004 at a cost of 10.59 billion yuan (1.28 billion US dollars).
Shenzhen is one of the country's five special economic zones.
Only four Chin
Dragonair bullish on mainland-HKSAR aviation market
With air passenger traffic between the Chinese Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in the past five years posting annual average growth rate of 12 percent, this rate is expected to be exceeded, an airline CEO said.
CEO of the Hong Kong-based Dragonair Stanley Hui made the remarks at the Asia Pacific Aviation Management Roundtable Thursday (Oct.31).
"Business travel is increasing as more overseas multi-national companies, as well as those from Hong Kong
China, Asia's aviation markets continue to expand: PATA
China and the Pacific Asia region's aviation market continue to perform well relative to global figures, with 30 to 50-plus percent increase in international traffic expected in China, a travel association president said.
President and CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Peter de Jong made the remark at the Asia Pacific Aviation Management Roundtable held by the Economist Conference here Thursday (Oct.31).
"The engines of growth have been Northeast and Southeast Asia,
Freedom urged for service sector
China's senior economists have urged the government to give more freedom to the country's service sector, which is regarded as key to solving the serious unemployment issue.
Gao Shangquan, director of the China Economic Restructuring Institute, said the focus in the world economy had turned from the traditional trade in commodities to the service sector but China's service sector lagged far behind developed countries.
The service sector in China only accounts for 33.3 per cent of t
Chinese archeologists search for clues on lost kingdom
Yelang was once a prosperous ethnic minorities kingdom in southwest China's Yungui tableland, until it mysteriously disappeared around 26 B.C.
Chinese scientists have long been seeking clues to the kingdom, which originated as early as the Warring States Period (475 B.C.-221 B.C.).
"Historical records are restricted to less than 1,000 words on Yelang except for repeated descriptions," said Song Shikun, an archeologist who has researched Yelang for about 40 years.
Yelang is a
Echoes of Hakka Music
In November 2000, the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra debuted Echo from the Earth Building, a 37-minute symphonic work under the baton of Zheng Xiaoying, at the 16th World Hakka People's Meeting in Longyan, east China's Fujian Province. The piece features the Hakka people's history and lives. The score, the orchestra, and especially the renowned 73-year-old conductor, herself from a Hakka family, all thrilled the Hakka audiences. They responded with rhythmic standing ovations and sang along with t
Dictionary Too Important for Words
Azik village of Opal town is invariably on the elite list of must-see sights for travelers to Kashi (Kashgar), Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Located about 40 kilometers southwest of Kashi, the village draws a lot of visitors -- most of them Muslim pilgrims, who come to pay their respects to Mahmud Kashgari, a great Uygur scholar buried in the village. Some travelers have come from as far away as western Asia. Mahmud Kashgari commands respect some 10 centuries after his deat
